If you suffer from acne, likelihood is you often feel frustrated and stressed. But don’t fear, there are certain things which you can try at home to help treat and improve the appearance of your acne. We’re not saying these tips will help transform your skin over night but they can make a huge difference.
1) Cleanse your face
This applies to all skin types, not just acne prone skin – let’s start with the basics of keeping your skin clean. We’d recommend you cleanse your face twice daily with a cleanser that is gentle and designed for acne prone skin. Gently massage your facial cleanser with your clean fingers and rinse with lukewarm water. Try to avoid using facial scrubs too often, because their abrasive and aggressive action can actually aggravate your skin and cause your skin to be even more inflamed and even spread bacteria.
2) Use toner
There are mixed views on toners among skin experts as some view them as an unnecessary product that can potentially irritate skin whereas others believe that toner is an ideal product to get rid of excess oil. Best thing to do is try it for yourself and see if it helps you get rid of extra oil on areas such as your T-zone or chin.
3) Try oil free
Because of the excess oil the skin of many acne sufferers produces, some may feel they do not need to use a moisturiser. Our advice would be that all skin types benefit from a good moisturiser, it’s just about finding the one that is best suited to each individual skin type. Many acne treatment products have a drying effect and if oily, acne-prone skin gets too dry, it can cause oil production to go into overdrive. Try oil-free moisturisers that are designed with acne prone skin in mind.
4) Certain ingredients will help treat acne
Certain ingredients work especially well for acne prone and oily skin, so look out for them when you’re shopping. Ingredients including benzoyl peroxide, glycolic acid, salicylic acid or beta-hydroxy acid can all help break up dead skin cells and prevent pores from clogging. Try a small amount first to see how your skin reacts before you try a larger amount.
5) Always wear sunscreen
It may seem like a recipe for disaster to apply sunscreen on your face when you have acne prone skin as you may be worried it will clog your pores, but there is so mjuch choice out there you’ll be able to find one that is perfect for your skin.
6) Don’t wear heavy make up
It’s understandable that the first thing you feel like you want to do after having a breakout is cover it up with make up and concealer, but you need to let your skin breathe. Applying too much makeup can clog your pores and even cause an acne flare-up. Try to use a Concealer that doubles up as an acne treatment and contains salicylic acid that will help you to both conceal and heal at the same time.